Air Force Academy football players allowed to pray publicly

Recently the United States Air Force Academy received a complaint about its football players kneeling in prayer. They would pray in the end zone before or after their games against other teams. Mikey Weinstein, founder and president of the Military Religious Freedom Foundation, said it was outrageous to allow a football team to engage in massive orchestrated sectarian Christian prayers right before kickoff for the world to see on television. He called it ‘a monstrous travesty and brutal breach of federal constitutional law and Department of Defense/Air Force regulations.’ An inquiry was initiated, which found the football players' actions to be consistent with Air Force guidance on the free exercise of religion.

Praise:

God for these Christians acting out their faith in full view of TV and football fan audiences. (Mal. 3:18)

Amazing - entire family survives direct hit from tornado

A Regent University dean is giving thanks to God for sparing 22 members of his family from a deadly tornado that destroyed his home in Texas last weekend. Dr Mitch Land is dean of the School of Communication and the Arts. He was in Texas for the holidays, celebrating with his mother, children and grandchildren. While he was at the airport to pick up family members, the tornado hit their home in Rowlett. He described how they survived. ‘All 22 of them crammed inside the hallway between the kitchen and the garage, and my son-in-law hovered over my 82 year-old mother to shelter one of his six children. Doors tried to fly open from the garage and the older grandchildren held on for dear life to those doors.’ Dr. Land said the children and parents cried out to God as the winds tore the roof from their home and gave thanks when the twister left.

Praise:

God for His saving grace and answers to prayer. (Pr. 15:29)

Desmond and Eva flooded 16,000 homes in England

Floods have caused havoc across much of the UK. Many are now asking, ‘Have decisions made by the public and politicians made things worse?’ It is suggested that the following has contributed: -Four million residential properties currently sit on flood plains or places with a one in 1,000 risk of flooding each year. -The argument over dredging has grown since the 2013/14 Somerset floods. -River straightening causes faster flow and more dangerous floods downstream. -Trees act as a natural flood defence, but there aren’t enough now growing on river banks. As a result of recent events the Environment Agency, farmers and politicians are discussing ways to remedy our failure to care for our land effectively and how we address the effects of climate change. We can pray for effective action to protect our land as a result of these discussions. See also article 2 in the World section of this week’s Prayer Alert.

Pray:

for God to restore where the earth has given way and where homes and livelihoods have been destroyed. (Ps. 25:6)

The future Anglican Church - C of E Primates' gathering from 11 to 16 January

The Archbishop of Canterbury has invited all Primates to a meeting next week to reflect and pray about the future Anglican Church. The agenda is likely to include: -religiously-motivated violence -the protection of children and vulnerable adults -the environment -human sexuality. The meeting will be an opportunity to review structures of the Anglican Communion and decide on an approach to the next Lambeth Conference. There are factions within the Anglican community worldwide. Some believe there is a need to replace it with a much looser grouping, allowing North America, which recognises and encourages gay marriage, and the African churches (led by Kenya, Uganda and Nigeria), which are against all homosexual activity, to separate. Justin Welby suggested there is a need to consider recent developments, look afresh at ways of working in unity while paying attention to past developments. Pray for the church to move forward proclaiming the gospel, making disciples and living in holiness in spite of pressures that vary greatly between Provinces.

Pray:

for the authority and discernment God has given His church to interpret Scripture correctly, allow the Holy Spirit to guide and do the things that Jesus did to remain undiluted and unchanged. (Is.1:2)

1,000 British troops deployed to Libya

6,000 European and US soldiers, including 1,000 British Special Forces, have been deployed in Libya to wrest back control of over a dozen oil fields seized by Islamic State militants. UK Special Forces spearheading the coalition will include close observation experts from the Special Reconnaissance Regiment. IS has seized several revenue-boosting oil fields in Libya and wants to win more control over the country. The land could provide them with millions of dollars to fund terror attacks. The terrorists are now targeting Marsa al Brega oil refinery, the biggest in North Africa; if they capture it, they will gain full control of the country’s oil. Britain’s SAS is working with Libyan commanders to advise on key ‘battle-space management’ tactics using troops, tanks, warplanes and ships. They will also supply intelligence to Ministry of Defence chiefs that could determine whether airstrikes are needed. They will join an advance force on the ground.

Pray:

for the success of all offensives set up to halt the advance of terrorists in Libya.(Ps.118:25)

Christian MP's faith drove him to resign from Corbyn's front bench

Christian MP Jonathan Reynolds resigned as Shadow Minister for Transport, in what is dubbed the ‘revenge reshuffle’. Mr Reynolds said he had no option and ‘if someone is on the front bench they have to go along with a collective position. If you're not happy with that, or you want the freedom to say more, or you disagree with some decisions taken, then the thing to do is to leave in a dignified fashion, which I've tried to do.’ He told Premier's News Hour that his faith drove his decision saying, ‘I personally feel it's not the time for me to be part of the Labour front bench. A lot of people with a Christian faith will recognise those traits in themselves, whatever jobs they do.’ Christian MP for Cardiff South and Penarth, Stephen Doughty, resigned live on air on the BBC's Daily Politics programme. See also

Pray:

for God to use His Christians in politics to bring about His purposes and decisions. (Jos. 22:5b)

Northern Ireland: a taste of today’s news

-’Embrace’ supports refugees and people seeking asylum and encourages other church communities to make Northern Ireland a welcoming place for refugees and those with minority ethnic backgrounds. Pray for all churches and organisations in Northern Ireland who are reflecting gospel values of compassion, hospitality and justice. -An estimated £50,000 worth of cannabis plants, cultivation equipment and other drugs paraphernalia was uncovered at a property in County Down this week. Pray for the police as they attempt to take drugs off local streets. Pray for Fitzroy Presbyterian Church as they provide treatment for people dependent on alcohol or drugs through their residential treatment units. -A meeting was held on Thursday to discuss flooding issues in Northern Ireland. Environment minister Mark H Durkan and agriculture and rural development minister Michelle O'Neill attended the meeting. Pray for this and all similar meetings taking place as we come to terms with poor flood defences and land management.

Pray:

for the refugees, the addicts, the vulnerable and those who have lost much through floods. (2 Co. 5:4)

Jihadi bride was once a Christian

The British jihadi bride whose four-year-old son recently appeared in an IS execution video was once a devout Christian who loved going to church, her father has said. 25-year-old Grace, who now goes by the name Khadijah, was religious. She would read her Bible and pray all the time. Her father said, ‘We called her Grace after Amazing Grace, the hymn. She went to church every week without fail, often three times.’ Khadijah converted to Islam in 2010 and is believed to have been radicalised online. She fled to Syria in 2012 with her son, Isa, who appeared in a ten-minute IS propaganda video released last week entitled 'A message to David Cameron'. It showed five hostages being killed.

Pray:

for God to bind the spirit of religion and principalities and powers in high places that blind the minds of man. Ask God to stoke the fire of the gospel of Christ in His Church and in this land. (Eph. 6:12)

MPs to debate ban on Donald Trump entering UK

MPs will hold a debate on a petition calling for US Republican presidential candidate Donald Trump to be barred from Britain after his proposal to stop all Muslims entering the United States. The debate, called by the Petitions Committee of the lower house of parliament, will be held on 18 January. The government responds to all petitions with more than 10,000 signatures. Topics are considered for debate if they reach 100,000.Trump owns two golf courses in Scotland, and has threatened to withdraw investments from the UK worth £700 million if barred from entry. In the past, people have been banned from Britain for fostering hatred that might provoke inter-community violence. The petition said, ‘If the United Kingdom is to continue applying the 'unacceptable behaviour' criterion to those who wish to enter its borders, it must be fairly applied to the rich as well as poor, and the weak as well as the powerful.’

Pray:

for justice to be done and seen to be done. (Pr. 21:20)

Church planting in Eastern Europe

The Lord is moving across the countries of central and eastern Europe which are showing a growing responsiveness to the Gospel. Mission agencies are calling out for Christians to step forward and fill the gaps in mission teams to engage in prayer and short term work alongside national believers to see God doing something huge for His Kingdom.

Pray:

for God to raise up Church planters, team leaders and those with a heart to disciple believers. (Ro.10:14)

Balkan Networks

Balkan Networks is a group of Kingdom-minded people living and working within the Balkans. They believe that prayer, worship, meaningful dialogue and decisive action can bring about unity in the body of Christ, collaboration within and between the Balkan nations, and real transformation across the entire region. Many Christian groups are part of this network, one of them being ‘The House of Prayer’ in Skopje, Macedonia. They are not a local church, but a ministry functioning as part of the Body of Christ seeking to glorify Jesus and strengthen their brothers and sisters by helping and inspiring the local churches to develop deeper prayer ministry, and in that way to become a dwelling place for God that goes beyond the weekly two-hour services. It is clear from history that revival comes as a result of people coming together in unity and humility before God to worship Him and seek His face. See also

Pray:

for God to move in power across Europe, enabling Christian ministries. (Is. 40:29)

INSIGHT: Elections in Taiwan and elsewhere

Taiwan’s general elections will be held on 16 January to elect the 14th president and vice president and all 113 seats of the 9th Legislative Yuan. These elections are said to be the most important in the democracy in nearly 20 years because: 1. Taiwan is poised to elect its first female president, as both of the two major parties have nominated female presidential candidates. 2. Taiwan’s long-time ruling party, the KMT, is expected to lose the presidency and possibly the legislature. Taiwan operates a semi-presidential system, with a directly elected president but also a premier similar to parliamentary systems. 3. Taiwanese identity is growing despite (or because of) increased ties with China. Taiwan’s polls have frequently asked whether people identify as Chinese; over the years Chinese identification has fallen from 25.5 percent to 3.3 percent. This shift benefits the opposition party, the DPP, who have traditionally promoted a distinct Taiwanese identity. For information regarding other nation-changing elections in the coming year see here

Pray:

that this shift of identity for independence will not mean conflict with China. (Pr. 21:1)

Worldwide weather

In Paraguay, Argentina, Uruguay, Brazil and Bolivia more than 160,000 people were displaced over the last few days of December by the heaviest floods to hit South America in 50 years. The year 2015 was the warmest on record globally. In the media, a lot of attention has been given to the many floods, droughts, wildfires and heatwaves that have battered countries this year. Little attention is given to the Arctic - where global warming is felt most strongly. Temperatures at the North Pole rose to above freezing point at the end of 2015; that’s more than 30 degrees higher than average. Last month 150 world leaders met at the COP21 climate summit and shook hands on the Paris Agreement. We can continue to pray through this year that countries will implement comprehensive and effective remedies to climate change. See also article 1 in the British Isles section, and see also.

Pray:

for us to hear God’s call for us to prioritise our stewardship to the earth and all its creatures. (Gen.1:27a,28)

Yemen: Fighting causing a humanitarian disaster

Homes are without power, food supplies cannot enter the area, and medical facilities have been bombed or closed. Since November heavy fighting in the central Yemeni city of Taiz has forced more than 30 hospitals and medical facilities to close. Doctors face an acute shortage of supplies, and the humanitarian situation worsens daily. The UN World Food Programme appealed to all parties in the conflict to allow food in for hundreds of thousands of hungry people under siege and deprived of supplies for many weeks. 22 governorates are experiencing food insecurity at ‘emergency’ level (one step below famine on the five-point Integrated Food Security Phase Classification scale), in a country where factional fighting in 2015 killed or wounded thousands of people and displaced 2.5 million others. Pray for the 7.6 million Yemenis who do not have enough food to lead a healthy life, have lost livelihoods, and face acute life-threatening malnutrition. See also

Pray:

for those living under war conditions, pray for the residents of a care centre for the blind that was bombed and destroyed on Wednesday and for those attempting to bring relief.(Ps.10:1, 12)

Middle East: Iraq to mediate between Saudi Arabia and Iran?

Iraq dispatched its foreign minister to Tehran on Wednesday with an offer to mediate in an escalating feud between Saudi Arabia and Iran after Sunni Saudi Arabia executed Shi'ite Nimr al-Nimr because he complained that Shi'ites were marginalised and called for the overthrow of the Saudi royal family. Nimr’s execution infuriated Iran, the region's main Shi'ite Muslim power and inflamed sectarian anger to rise higher across the Middle East. Demonstrators sacked the Saudi embassy in Iran, and Shi’ite countries cut off diplomatic ties with Iran. Sunni-led Saudi Arabia and Shi'ite-led Iran have been fighting proxy wars in the region for generations. The Saudis have led a coalition of Shi'ite Houthi rebels in Yemen, resulting in devastation and starvation (see above). Shi'ite Iran backs Syria's President Assad against the Sunni rebels in that country's five-year civil war. Saudi Arabia is number 12, and Iran number 7 on the World Watch List of the worst persecutors of Christians.

Pray:

for diplomacy to overcome the volatile tempers of Iran's President Hassan Rouhani, Ayatollah Al Khamenei and Saudi's King Salaman bin Abdulaziz and their advisors. (Jas. 3:18).

Nigeria: Boko Haram kill 80+ but President says ‘war against terror won’

Boko Haram slaughtered more than eighty people in a series of attacks the week after President Buhari suggested his army had ‘technically won the war.’ The Global Terror Report 2015 places Nigeria third on their list of 124 countries, and says that Boko Haram are ‘deadlier than IS, having killed more people’. Buhari had previously vowed to drive out the terror group from the country by December. He now suggests they have ‘technically’ been defeated as they revert to using improvised explosive devices and indoctrinating children. Meanwhile a refugee camp with 2,500 temporary homes for refugees fleeing Boko Haram now hosts close to one million. 2.5 million people have been internally displaced due to Boko Haram's various attacks. Reports suggest that women have been forced to carry out suicide bombings for the terrorists, who have become notorious for kidnapping thousands of women and girls from towns and villages.

Pray:

for God to comfort the victims of violence and terrorism and help them to overcome fear. (Jn.16:33)

South Africa: human trafficking

Nomasonto Khoza, the mother of a one-year-old toddler, and her two accomplices appeared at the Nelspruit magistrates’ court on Thursday, charged with human trafficking. The 25-year-old mother sold the child for R5,000 in Springs to 45-year-old Thobile Ndhlovu. The accused remain in custody until bail is paid. The case has been postponed to 17 February. Human trafficking affects countless victims around the world. The methodologies used to arrive at estimates about its nature and extent have been criticised as flawed or lacking in scientific rigour. In South Africa, claims by anti-trafficking campaigners and NGOs report that 30,000 children are trafficked into the country annually as part of the sex trade. The same figure has been used by the Department of Home Affairs to justify visa regulations aimed at combating child trafficking. The number of cases being reported suggests it is on the increase in South Africa. See also

Pray:

for a day when people will not be treated as a commodity (Ps.82:3)

Australia: palliative care

The Victorian government has conducted a public consultation to improve palliative care service and work towards the development of an end-of-life care framework. The Australian Christian Lobby was able to contribute to the discussion by making a submission that highlighted the importance of ensuring that good health practice is carried out in palliative care. People requiring medical treatment and care who are approaching the end of their life are often some of the most vulnerable members of society, and need to be treated in a way that is consistent with the dignity of their humanity. This means that public health policy must always reject any health care solutions that intentionally seek to end a patient’s life, even when desired by the patient.

Pray:

for the government as they consider and debate this issue. (Ps. 121:1,2)